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My kingdom for a dentist!” I can't tell you how many times I've heard that phrase belted out loud at the top of the lung by the hoi polloi on the streets of New York City. There is a palpable craving for competent dentists out there. These days it's not enough for a dentist to know his practice.

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Why Comprehensive Dental Exams are So Crucial

15Nov2016

A simple smile can carry with it so much. It could be considered one of the most basic ways that people interact with one another, through language barriers, age differences, and other potential contributors to misunderstandings. It is the companion to a greeting, a new introduction, a feeling of joy or happiness. A simple smile can sometimes do so much more than an endless stream of words can. And part of keeping that smile healthy is keeping up on oral checks and comprehensive dental exams.

Why are comprehensive dental exams so important?

Medical checkups in general are good to keep up on, in order to ensure an overall quality of life and to keep yourself informed of your health and any issues or conditions you might develop that could take some effort to become knowledgable about and to manage. Dental health is no different. But in the case of comprehensive dental exams, there is a popular train of thought, or at least a popular habit that people have that keeps them away from the dentist office for much longer than is advisable. While it is pretty common knowledge that your dentist should be getting a visit from you every six months or so, it has been shown that the average time that many people will end up waiting before getting themselves to their next dentist’s appointment is three years.

Comprehensive dental exams will always go much more smoothly if you are going as often as you should be going. Even if you manage to avoid any cavities or other serious issues, just what should be a simple and painless cleaning process could end up taking far longer than it should, and be a much more uncomfortable process than it needs to be.

Keep healthy, keep smiling
Just about everyone will agree that a healthy smile is significant, particularly in regards to the social scene. In fact one survey conducted by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry showed that 99.7% of respondents said that they believed good smiles were important socially. And about 74% of adults have the belief that a smile which is considered unattractive can have undesirable impacts, such as hurting the success of one’s career. For as focused as people are on their smiles and the impacts that those smiles can have, especially if they are not just right, according to society, there are still plenty of people who do not do what it takes to reach good oral health. About three quarters of the population do not change out their toothbrushes for new ones as often as they should be doing. There are clearly things that people can do for better oral health, but often times it is simply too easy not to, until of course it nears the point that it is too late for preventative and must then be restorative, if at all possible.

Creating good habitsAs with anything that needs to be improved, better oral health begins with education. Children should be learning from early on just how vital their dental health is, and what they should be doing from their age and onward throughout the rest of their lives to maintain good oral hygiene and health. It has been estimated that about 25% of children in the United States have never set foot in a dentist’s office by the time they were heading into kindergarten. Over 33% of schools across the country end up having to refer children for the treatment of dental problems. Instilling these good habits earlier on, by providing kids with an example, will create healthier and more consistent habits later on for them in life as well.

Whether you are hoping to restore your smile with significant work, or find a tooth whitening service, or anything in between, the first thing that you should remember is that you should be proud of your natural smile. Improving upon it should not be a matter of shame. As long as any dental work you are getting done is out of a health necessity or a place of confidence rather than shame, you should feel free to develop that smile, and develop those good oral habits as well.